Barack Obama's Worrisome Campaign

In the latest Washington Post poll, Barack Obama continues to lead John McCain among likely voters 50 percent to 46 percent. This, after sinking hard in the polls from the summer through the respective political conventions.

That Obama leads at all - and that lead has diminished from the previous survey - has more to do with, as the Post reports, "negativity about the country's financial prospects" than any particular proposal or piece of rhetoric the candidate has put forward. Despite his clear ability to energize people and haul in buckets of cash, there have been and there continue to be elements to Obama's campaign which are troublesome harbingers of what kind of president he could be. One who's distracted and reactive, rather than focused and proactive. One who's constantly moving to a rhythm set by others.

In the Democratic primary Obama was constantly reacting to nontroveries - Jeremiah Wright and his vanishing lapel pin - and was unable to decisively "finish off" Senator Clinton.

He bit at McCain's accusations that he had not spent enough time overseas. He traveled to the Middle East and Europe to great international acclaim but a public yawn here at home. That cost him. Obama had enjoyed an average 7 point lead over McCain in the polls in late June. By the time he held his rally in Berlin that differential was cut in half.

When the conflict in South Ossetia began, Obama read tepid remarks and equivocated.

The force of Obama's monumental acceptance speech was blunted by McCain's selection of Sarah Palin, then made worse by Team Obama's seeming inability to coherently respond to Palin on the Republican ticket.

Early September saw a ten point shift in favor of McCain.

Then the bottom dropped out of the economy and John McCain could not hide from the stink of deregulation run amok.

Between now and November 4th Obama may need to do literally nothing to get into the White House. Just let John McCain arbitrarily suspended his campaign when he sees fit (or in the case of Michigan, fully suspend it), and let the Couric/Palin interviews continue.

Perhaps there is some sweet science to be admired in the tactic of merely allowing your opponent to implode. The rope-a-dope of politics.

It may be the only campaign style Obama knows.

The bolt of the decisive fight isn't in Obama's quiver. In his last major campaign his opponent, Jack Ryan, was forced to drop out of the race prior to Alan Keyes getting airdropped into Illinois as the great black hope.

But the presidency in general - and I believe 44th presidency in particular - does not and cannot suffer come-what-may-isms. It doomed Jimmy Carter, and it doomed any number of Democratic candidates who never made it to the White House.

Let's hope president Obama, different from candidate Obama is more proactive rather than deus ex machina.

For more Obama news and opinion, visit www.thatminoritything.com

Comments

[UrbanRevolution]

NO!. Just as Biden said in his interview. He was awestruck by Obama's performance during a meeting with all of the bigwigs including warren buffet where they came up with a plan and mandates for the bail out. he took command of this committee with people 10-30 years his senior. Biden said this was the first time he'd really seen him in action and his leadership abilities were uncanny. However, this does not fit the MSM narrative DOES IT? NO - he has no experience he's just a charismatic thinker. DON'T FORGET FOLKS, this is the man that got everyone else thrown off the ballot -- legitimately! He's got balls - that's for sure. However, if he would have come out publicly with a plan the MSM would have said "he's not the president, how presumptuous is he?" As Chris Mathews said "he's damned if he does and damned if he doesn't".

Ridley - you should know better - do your homework, dig and find out what he really HAS been doing.

[GaryfromDenver]

He voted for FISA.

He went along with the Georgian ethnic cleansing...and then blamed Russian for protecting its own people.

He COMPLETELY flip-flopped on off shore-drilling to the demise of our environment.

He, along with many others, sold this country completely out just last week.

He's already promised to create more war...a promise I'm sure he'll keep.

We're all voting for him. But's let's not make the SAME mistake we always make and blindly follow someone with admitting the truth.

[wintermute1]

I am not sure who you are associating with "blindly following someone". That is what the Rethugs do all the time. Dems typically refuse to unify, talk-down their own candidate, and then blame the person for losing.

That Barack appears determined to avoid that fate speaks in his favor. We are not pursuing perfection, just a basically honest and progressive politician with impressive charisma and campaign management skills.

And the potential to transform American politics by the power of his candidacy.

Give hope a chance, please!

[minkia]

Everyone knows you back up your words with actions, if he was rigid about his ideology he would be McCain, or worse Bush. I was pissed about the FISA thing but you have to read the whole bill, if he really believes in compromise that doesn't necessarily mean he is compromised, just that he really means it when he says he wants to get past the partisan gridlock.

[raskolnikov72]

Context, my friend ...

It is clear that you don't play chess. Barack does ...

1) He's ahead
2) The operating thesis from the Republicans and the Clinton Machine regarding Barack has been:
a) Inexperienced
b) "Other"/Radical
3) 2(a) has not worked
4) 2(b) is not working, partially because Barack is a cool customer and not offering anything radical in the closing days of a 2 year campaign to have people try him on for size and become comfortable with him
5) If he does anything radical/ "grab the bull by the horns," he plays directly into the narrative re: 2(b)

Wake up ... play chess .. this is one of the best campaigns (thus far) ever executed. For any candidate to get this far is exceptional. For that candidate to have had to fight against a narrative of "not one of us" and a history of racism against ferocious attacks is extraordinary ...

This is about the Campaign, this is not about the Governance ...

[kellygrrrl]

3 words:

Consider the Alternative

[DHGallegos]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/04/union-president-defends-o_n_131954.html
Union President Defends Obama Against Racism (VIDEO)

WAKE UP !!!

[Americatortures]

John,you ask for a proactive Obama...but offer no suggestions!! I offer up that he unleash those KEATING FIVE ADS the Dems MUST be holding for the last 30 days!!

[BigSid]

JOHN, YOU'RE ON TO SOMETHING HERE

You have come really close to fingering the real problem many have with Obama. It's such a simple problem that many seem to overlook it. Does any one wanna guess what the real problem with Obama is?

The real problem is that many people feel he won't be an effective President. It's got nothing to do with race, it's got nothing to do with whether we would sit down for dinner with him or invite his kids to our kid's birthday party...it's got everything to do with I, and many other simply think he won't be effective.

Call me if you need me in the midst of what he calls the biggest financial crisis the country has ever seen. Yes, he had the great retort against McCain saying that a President needs to be able to walk and chew gum at the same time, but as a sitting Senator, and the most likely President-elect shouldn't you get you butt back to Washington and contribute in your official capacity as a Senator...simply put shouldn't you do your job?

All his talk of the power of positive thinking while he campaigns, I suspect will be replaced by the tough love of getting through a term if he's elected. Everything Obama promise now is surrounded by a silver lining, but many know he will not deliver on those pie in the sky dreams.

[TexasAmerican]

Well put BigSid.

[littleblackcat]

And your fellow texans bushit and chaindog ARE effective?

[wbramh]

Had SENATOR Obama been REPRESENTATIVE Obama, yes.
The fact is that neither McCain nor Obama have any power in the House, and using historical probabilities, would have more likely set back any deal by trying to pressure anybody - which is exactly what happened when McCain showed up.
The smartest and best leader in the history of the World would walk into an almost incurable mess this January. I don't envy President Obama, and I certainly don't want President McCain.

[streetkid5]

Barack knows it , too. There is, as has been said by brighter lights than I, a world of difference between the campaign trail and Pennsylvania Avenue. By the way, he did go back to Washington and cast his vote for the Bozo Bailout. When all else fails, Sid, read the papers.

[wagthedog1001]

i agree with you to a point.

The entire campaign is proactive, focused, positive, and attentive to attacks. Because he is black, he needs to be so much better than his opponents.

I don't think you are giving him enough credit for what he is accomplishing so far.

[TexasAmerican]

What. Let's stop using the race card to elect Obama. To get elected he needs to explain to us Independents what his changes will be other than "different than Bush". Nobody really knows who he really is. He talks a good talk but we don't know what the changes are. He actually gets a pass because he part black. It's been a benefit to him.

[Rockville]

Have you been sleeping in a cave for the last year? Do you expect him to show up on your doorstep and tell you all about himself? This candidate has written two books, a third one has just come out which includes some of his speeches. He has a very complete web site.
What more do you want???????

[wbramh]

Amen.
This "inexperienced" black candidate with a young and green campaign staff is going to be the next President of the United States.
Maybe, just maybe, he's done something right.

[S1m0n]

If the democratic party needed someone to fight last year's war, they'd have picked Hillary Clinton.

He's winning. Will win. Mere competence from here to the end will suffice to guarrantee the Obama campaign's victory. Quit bitching.

[Bullyness]

Yes, I agree! I wish he would propose the creation of five million new jobs by strategically investing $150 billion over the next ten years to catalyze private efforts to build a clean energy future or propose 1 million Plug-In Hybrid cars -- cars that can get up to 150 miles per gallon -- on the road by 2015, cars that we will work to make sure are built here in America, something visionary like that ... Oh, um, nevermind.

[Americatortures]

Exactly...The author remains jealous of OBAMA!!

[wbramh]

Yep. And 26 more VERY specific goals in the same speech.

[PuppaX]

I think you're way off. He has been remarkably on-message; barely letting these other things hold any meaning at all. The reason it took so long to "finish off" Senator Clinton is that he was COMPLETELY on message: "I'm the nominee and I'm campaigning against McCain." Senator Clinton did well in some of the final states because Obama didn't even bother with them.

[Sortaskibum]

I agree with many of the points made here. Few would argue that Obama would not be in as strong a position if the economy had not suddenly started showing the symptoms of its festering malaise. True, Palin has definitely helped him, but not as much as the economy. If Obama had been forced to fight back after the GOP convention without the help of the economy, would he have been able to? I like to think so, but I don't really know.

However, I also have to say that we've had a president who's "proactive" to the point of being insane for 8 years. Maybe we need someone who's a little more laid back.

[uheardme]

I agree with you John. Has he ever been on OFFENSE? What's up with the constant campaign MEMOS? Where the he11 are the 527s?

I'm impressed by his use of new technology to compete and work the ground game, but while he's good at the new school stuff he better get some oldschool brawlers to attack McCain/Palin's attempted shift to smear tactics! Is his team so married to THEIR PLAN that they are unable to adapt and anticipate the opposition's tactics?

[tyrdofwaitin]

John: I'm going to recant on an equivacal post here that I made yesterday. When all is said and done, Obama has exhibited a remarkable trajectory of steadiness, courage and wisdom throughout this entire campaign. Has he pleased every progressive this side of the Misssissippi? No? Has he pleased me with his decisions at all moments? No. But one thing he has done ---- he's marched a steady road under HEAVY enemy fire: From the wing-nuts; from his own party and from folks like us who whine everytime he displeases us. I think we need to get over ourselves: Barack Obama is a once-in-a-life-time public servant! Thank God for him.

Now we need to stop whining and get to work ---Barack is going to need all the help he can get in the coming weeks and years.

[FastMovingCloud]

Well said!

[2cntswrth]

Thanks so much for saying this. Never in the history of politics has a candidate other than Barack Obama had to overcome so many ostacles (most of which have nothing to do with his actual statements about policy). I cannot remember any candidate over my last 40 or so years of voting who perfectly met every idea or position I believed in. Neither does Obama. But for some reason or another, we expect sheer perfection from him. But the same standard isn't being required of John McCain. So perhaps it would put it into better perspective to understand that if McCain is elected, Sarah Palin at some point in the not to distant future could become the 45th president?!? Then we will have a lot to talk and worry about regarding "come-what-may-isms."

[wbramh]

Likewise, I don't agree with Senator Obama 100% of the time, and I've written letters and called his campaign office when I've disagreed (ie: FISA). But in Obama I see a man who would be willing to change course if his initial plan was not working.
Lincoln understood the importance of adjusting to changing realities.
Mr. Bush has never understood it.

[ckfan]

John - You are SO OFF BASE it's pathetic. Every campaign has ups and downs. Polls go up and down. Consider this:
1. Obama has never been involved in nor has he led a national campaign for the presidency; yet, he ran a more organized, strategic campaign than Hillary, who by all accounts is a veteran politician. He is running a more focused, strategic and tactical campaign than McCain. Who is having his second turn at running.

2. SHOW ME THE MONEY - Obama's fund raising efforts have soared well above any candidate ever.

3. VOTERS: He's brought more new voters to the Democratic party than any Dem politician.

4. HE'S BLACK, HELLO! - If someone told you 2 years ago that an unknown Black man with an African name would be a party nominee you would've thought they were crazy.

Yet, as a newcomer, he makes a few mistakes amid the thousands of right decisions he's made during his run for the White House and you have the AUDACITY to criticize him.

Go back to the drawing board on this post, John. Honey, you're not getting it.

[Serious Lee]

Excellent observation.
He is running a different kind of campaign.
Do you remember the 2004 convention speech? He does!

[Bitsko]

"...was unable to decisively 'finish off' Senator Clinton." You're forgetting the fact that Senator 0bama won. In this age of razor thin elections, I'll take a one-percent win anytime.